On the threshold of the New Year - with gratitude, hope and together
Amidst the hustle and bustle and fatigue of the end of the year, there is an opportunity to pause, reflect on the achievements and step into the next year with gratitude and hope.
Year 2024 at MED MUNI
What was 2024 like? At the Faculty of Medicine, like at Masaryk University, it was marked by the 105th anniversary of its foundation, which was at least symbolically interwoven into several events. Recall some of them with us...
January
At the beginning of the year, the semi-circular 105th anniversary was incorporated into the charity campaign Darujeme o105, in which we set the goal of reaching 105 blood donors in cooperation with the blood transfusion stations of the university hospitals. In the end, 275 of them came to donate, almost a third of them for the first time. Colleagues from the Faculty of Economics and Administration were also involved in the campaign in an organized way and the announcement ceremony took place in June during the premiere year of the Donate Blood, Brno! As usual, the Open Days of the Faculty of Medicine were also held in January, with a total of over 2,500 participants. The anniversary also resonated on the last day of January during the awarding of medals to personalities who have shaped and are shaping Masaryk University, spreading its good name, ideas and ideals, while also mentioning the values and principles from which Masaryk University has grown.
February
In February, the university campus library became the scene of an important media event, where the popular Czech Television programme Fokus Václava Moravce was filmed. Of course, the topic of the Borders of Medicine was also discussed by the LF MU personalities. In February, in cooperation with the Faculty of Pharmacy, we also hosted another year of MjUNI, or Masaryk Junior Academy, thanks to which 250 children aged 9 to 18 could experience what it is like to study at MED MUNI.
March
In March, not only the deans of the campus faculties, but also the prime minister, minister, governor and mayor ceremoniously laid the foundation stone of the BioPharma Hub, a unique research facility for medical, pharmaceutical and life science disciplines. The CZECRIN Research Infrastructure marked 10 years since its foundation, in cooperation with the Brno University Hospital we took part in the Týden mozku awareness campaign for the first time this year, and the Spolek mediků, which also marked 105 years since its foundation, held its 26th representative ball.
April
Another anniversary this year also fell on P-PooL, or the undergraduate program for motivated general medical students with advanced scientific training. We marked the anniversary by interviewing its coordinator, Professor Katerina Kaňková, as well as the five current "pools," as they refer to themselves, and ten of them defended their theses in April. Spolek mediků organised a food collection in April, in which they wanted to collect at least a symbolic 105 kg of food. In the end, it distributed almost a quarter of a tonne of food to the homeless. Our students also regularly participate in World Health Day as part of their awareness-raising activities.
May
With the exam period beginning, there was time to relax as the whole university gathered on campus for MUNI Day. The Faculty of Medicine opened its workplaces, sports were played, music was played and one of the pillars of the event was the floorball derby between the campus faculties team and the team selected from the other faculties after a year. At the end of the month, the Rector of Masaryk University, Martin Bareš, awarded the Rector's Award to several students of our faculty as part of the Dies academicus.
June
This year, for the second time, we organized the Alumni Day connected not only with gold but also with silver graduations, which were repeated by graduates from 1974 and 1999. In addition, we prepared tours of our departments and a social afternoon in the library for the two hundred people who arrived. On the other hand, for the first time, Juniorská akademie LF MU took on its shoulders a sports and knowledge event FAST RUN MUNI designed for high school students.
July and August
And once again in action, Juniorská akademie - in July, held its third suburban camp for young campers and future scientists aged 10 to 15, who were immersed in science and medicine for a whole week. Children and young people are also targeted by the Aktivní škola project, which aims to promote exercise and a healthier way of life for students, and in which our faculty also officially joined by signing a memorandum. And the International Clinical Research Center ICRC has a new head since August - Professor Michal Masařík.
September
This semester, the two most important events aimed at popularising science - Festival vědy and Noc vědců - fell into the beginning of the semester. Both have attendance in the thousands, and both obviously involved the Faculty of Medicine. And the start of the semester is also inseparably linked to the Deans' Barbecue - this year with a large turnout of freshmen and international students.
October
For the most enthusiastic applicants, we open the doors of the faculty in the autumn, when a student-organised Open Day takes place. Like every year, it was filled to capacity, with registrations filling up perhaps even faster this year than last. And the Etika on Run event, aimed at supporting people with Down syndrome, has also seen increasing interest. This year's event came out in the autumn term and raised CZK 170,000 for the good cause.
November
At the beginning of November, on the feast of All Saints, we gather to commemorate the donors of the bodies, and this year was no different. Although the construction of the memorial to the body donors has been administratively delayed, this year's campaign at the Donio platform raised almost CZK 150,000 to support it. Spolek mediků has already organised another benefit concert for this purpose in May. At the beginning of November, the unique First Central European CREATIC Conference was held to address key challenges for the development of cell and gene therapies in Europe. Also this month, the MU Silver Medals were handed out to nine individuals from the Faculty of Medicine.
December
We christened the new calendar at our annual Christmas tree lighting gathering. It was the result of an art competition da MEDici organized on the occasion of the 105th anniversary of the Faculty. The competition received a total of 45 paintings and images, from which the best thirteen were selected by public vote, the sight of which can brighten up the 105 weeks of 2025 and 2026.
